swoopo.co.uk - false advertising

[va1o]

Has anyone seen these stupid web adverts:


They seem to be trying to get people onto the site thinking you can get a bargain, but its pure complete bull st

The site is a joke, and they constantly pretend that high-end and very desirable electrics are changing hands for peanuts in auctions, but its just rubbish.

What the hell are they playing at?

[Davi]

who says that items aren't changing hands at peanuts? The price they "sell" them for is only a fraction of what they make on the auctions. Misleading it may be but that doesn't mean it's false, it's just gambling with a different name.

[va1o]

Found an interesting link on it - http://technologizer.com/2008/09/17/is-swoopo-noth...

Sounds to me like its just a new form of gambling

You have to pay to bid, at 50p a pop. You can't buy one bid, you have to buy them in packs of at least 20, so there £10 up already. Each time you bid, the time on the item extends by a few seconds. Very clever scam.

Edited by va1o on Monday 6th April 20:30

[MitchT]

Swoopo is quite a difficult concept for people to get their heads around, but if you can fathom it then you can see how folk might pick something up for peanuts. It's a case of not just paying a low price but also not placing too many bids or the cost of your bids will erode any saving. Then there's the critical bit - Being the person who's bid stands when the auction ends... Difficult when a late bid causes the auction to be extended. I've looked at it and watched it quite intently thinking I'd use it so stock-up on bargain gold bars, but I couldn't see enough value in the process. It all seems to be about luck and I prefer to invest my time and effort in things that I have some control over.

Edited by MitchT on Monday 6th April 20:36

[va1o]

Starting to make sense now, so its just a gambling site dressed up as an auction site. I will not be giving them any money thats for sure.

[The Riddler]

My mum was showing me this site a week or so back, straight away i had the 'too good to be true' feeling, so i looked more into it, the fact you have to 'buy' bids is a total scam, and its more than likely an automated system that will last minute bid on most items to get them to a more saleable price.

I may be wrong though, and the word scam may not be strong enough.

[Davi]

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

[va1o]

Davi said:

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

I know its not a scam, I spent a while doing some research and now understand how it works. As was said before its gambling dressed up as an auction site, and the people who came up with the idea are geniuses. However, I will not be giving them any money, as in my eyes its a false economy.

[Davi]

va1o said:

Davi said:

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

I know its not a scam, I spent a while doing some research and now understand how it works. As was said before its gambling dressed up as an auction site, and the people who came up with the idea are geniuses. However, I will not be giving them any money, as in my eyes its a false economy.

should have quoted Riddler as I was referring to his comments.

[The Ben]

is it the same as www.madbid.com

[The Riddler]

Davi said:

va1o said:

Davi said:

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

I know its not a scam, I spent a while doing some research and now understand how it works. As was said before its gambling dressed up as an auction site, and the people who came up with the idea are geniuses. However, I will not be giving them any money, as in my eyes its a false economy.

should have quoted Riddler as I was referring to his comments.

When taken as the site is advertised, it seems straight forward enough, bid on goods, win the auction, pay the price, receive the goods. So when taken at face value, it seems like a bloody good site.

The thing is, there are hidden costs, namely that you have to pay for bids, and should you 'lose' the 'auction' the cost of the bids are not refunded. In my eyes, this is a scam. Admittedly, quite a clever and good scam.

I'd class a scam as anything, which at face value seems like a brilliant deal/proposition, but, when you go to accept the deal or proposition, you need to pay/do/part with x, in order to get y.

[The Ben]

The Riddler said:

Davi said:

va1o said:

Davi said:

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

I know its not a scam, I spent a while doing some research and now understand how it works. As was said before its gambling dressed up as an auction site, and the people who came up with the idea are geniuses. However, I will not be giving them any money, as in my eyes its a false economy.

should have quoted Riddler as I was referring to his comments.

When taken as the site is advertised, it seems straight forward enough, bid on goods, win the auction, pay the price, receive the goods. So when taken at face value, it seems like a bloody good site.

The thing is, there are hidden costs, namely that you have to pay for bids, and should you 'lose' the 'auction' the cost of the bids are not refunded. In my eyes, this is a scam. Admittedly, quite a clever and good scam.

I'd class a scam as anything, which at face value seems like a brilliant deal/proposition, but, when you go to accept the deal or proposition, you need to pay/do/part with x, in order to get y.

admitidly this is not my cup of tea, but I dont see it as a scam... As you have the opportunity to read the rules pre bidding. If you want to carry on, you bid, and if your not happy with the rules, you dont bid. Id see it as a scam if I was not getting what I was told I would after I had performed my side of the bargin....

[The Riddler]

Everyone has the chance to read the small print of everything, but how many people actually do. Apart from the obviously larger things such as loans, mortgages and HP-paperwork.

I'd like to think most people i know are smart enough to give this kind of thing a swerve, but the kind of people who use these sites are normally the same kind of people who get their products at 'Brighthouse' and such establishments.

These kinds of services prey on the already hard-up.

(IMO)

[Davi]

The Riddler said:

Davi said:

va1o said:

Davi said:

I don't see how you can call it a scam - it states quite clearly how you go about trying to "win" - it's more a tax on people stupid enough to not read things thoroughly, much like most excessive forms of gambling.

I know its not a scam, I spent a while doing some research and now understand how it works. As was said before its gambling dressed up as an auction site, and the people who came up with the idea are geniuses. However, I will not be giving them any money, as in my eyes its a false economy.

should have quoted Riddler as I was referring to his comments.

When taken as the site is advertised, it seems straight forward enough, bid on goods, win the auction, pay the price, receive the goods. So when taken at face value, it seems like a bloody good site.

The thing is, there are hidden costs, namely that you have to pay for bids, and should you 'lose' the 'auction' the cost of the bids are not refunded. In my eyes, this is a scam. Admittedly, quite a clever and good scam.

I'd class a scam as anything, which at face value seems like a brilliant deal/proposition, but, when you go to accept the deal or proposition, you need to pay/do/part with x, in order to get y.

I'm fully aware of how it works, it's just not a scam. A scam is something which tries to deceive you into believing you are getting something when you aren't, This states quite clearly and on the front page what it is. Very top of the page, large green link "how it works". Below that it states in reasonable sized letters "buy bids, choose products, place bids, win".

You'd have to be a complete retard to think that you'll get a £1000 telly for £10 without someone, somewhere paying for it. You'd have to be utterly brain dead to read the "how it works" and not understand that you are paying for the chance to bid to maybe win.

You'd have to be an even bigger moron to take offence when you didn't win and try and claim it was the websites fault. It's all about Personal Responsibility and I'm absolutely SICK of this countries attitude that it's "not my fault". YES. IT. IS.

[GreenDog]

I think this sort of site resides in the suburbs of Scam City, in that grey area. It's not actually telling any lies but it relies on the hard of thinking not reading the T&Cs. It's very similar to those late-night TV shows where you ring in and it costs you a quid whether you get through or not.

[dan1981]

Has anyone actually had a go on it yet?

GRRR the annoying thing is I want to watch an auction end but none of them seem to actually end - they get so low and then get the time "bidded" back up.

Edited by dan1981 on Wednesday 8th April 11:16

[Simond001]

http://www.swoopo.co.uk/auction/canon-eos-500d-15m...

brilliant.

I'm watching the auction for a plasma TV. it has reset itself to 15 seconds about 40 times.

The never ending aution.

I dont undertsand how they can be allowed to run a timed auction that resets every time someone bids.

[evoesque]

Madbid gives you some free bids to start off with. I had a whirl, won naff all and left it at that.

It's not a Scam, it's a lottery (or a tax on the stoopid).

Whatever it is, the guys running them are probably making a small fortune.

Edited by evoesque on Monday 8th June 19:12

[The Moose]

Simond001 said:

I dont undertsand how they can be allowed to run a timed auction that resets every time someone bids.

I've heard of loads of auctions like this!

[va1o]

The Moose said:

Simond001 said:

I dont undertsand how they can be allowed to run a timed auction that resets every time someone bids.

I've heard of loads of auctions like this!